With help from receiving duo, Westlake going deep into postseason

Teammates and friendly rivals, Westlake wide receivers Reed Klubnik and Chase Cokley catch both passes and the good-natured jibes they toss at each other from time to time.

The bookend senior wideouts have helped the Chaparrals (13-1) to the Class 6A, Division I state semifinal by having similarly productive seasons. While becoming Westlake’s all-time leader in receiving yardage, Klubnik has caught 74 passes for 1,191 yards and 12 touchdowns this fall. Cokley checks in with 60 receptions this season for 1,134 yards and 15 touchdowns.

On a team loaded with talent, Klubnik and Cokley have established themselves as a game-changing unit. They say they remain motivated to stay sharp by feeding off each other’s performances.

“I give Chase a hard time when I do better than him, and he gives me a hard time when he does better than me,” Klubnik said at a recent practice.

Klubnik (6 feet 3 inches, 180 pounds) and Cokley (6-1, 180) are the go-to receivers for one of the state’s premier quarterbacks, Sam Ehlinger. The Chaparrals junior — a Texas Longhorns pledge — has made a bid for all-state consideration, averaging 248 yards passing a game while tossing 47 touchdowns against only three interceptions.

Ehlinger said the Klubnik-Cokley combo gives Westlake a leg up against most opponents.

“There have been a lot of teams that have lost because they have a singular offense,” Ehlinger said. “They’re good in only one facet. With Cokley and Klub, you can’t double one guy because the other will be open.”

Westlake has reached the cusp of a state final in coach Todd Dodge’s second season. On Friday night in Waco, the Chaparrals will face Allen, which boasts a 57-game winning streak, as they attempt to reach their first state-title game since 2009.

The Chaps served notice they might be a state-title contender when they won a state championship at the annual 7-on-7 passing tournament in July. Coming off a 7-4 season in 2014, they were ranked 25th in the Class 6A preseason poll compiled by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.

“As a team, we didn’t care what people on the outside were saying about us,” Ehlinger said. “We knew we could make it this far — and we’re not done yet.”

Ehlinger said his top receivers benefit the team in multiple ways. The 6-1, 205-pound quarterback said a “quick head fake” to Cokley or Klubnik often forces defenses to “fly after them,” opening running holes in the middle of the field.

Ehlinger has taken advantage of those holes, rushing for a team-high 1,151 yards and 20 touchdowns. Last week, he posted a 174-yard, two-touchdown rushing effort in a state-quarterfinal victory over Humble Atascocita.

“Teams don’t know what we’re going to do with the ball,” Cokley said. “We’ll be in a running play, and defenses are still looking at the receivers.”

Westlake has bulldozed its way to four postseason victories, outscoring opponents by an average of 29 points a game. Klubnik and Cokley have contributed their fair share, combining for 43 catches, 704 yards and six touchdowns in that span.

“Allen hasn’t beaten us once,” Ehlinger said. “We’re 0-0 against each other. Their streak has nothing to do with what will happen on the field Saturday. We’re going in with the same mindset we’ve had all year: Get it done.”